AI-generatedPenzance at a glance
- Best time
- Apr – Aug
- Warmest month
- Aug · 18°
- Warmest sea
- Aug · 16.6°
- Sunshine a year
- 1,670 h
- Rain a year
- 891 mm
- Climate
- Maritime
- Time zone
- UTC+0 / UTC+1
- Elevation
- 32 m
Climate in Penzance
Penzance has a maritime climate with moderate summers and cool, often grey winters. August is the warmest month with average highs of 18 °C, while February is the coolest at 9 °C. With around 1,670 hours of sunshine a year, Penzance is moderately sunny; June is the sunniest month with 7.2 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: April – August
Keep in mindFrequent rain
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 12°
- Midday, 13:00: about 14°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 15°
- Evening, 20:00: about 13°
- Night, 23:00: about 13°
07:4218:33
Cool evenings: pack a jumper or a jacket.
Estimated from the average high and low: coolest around sunrise, warmest in mid-afternoon.
Light for photos in October
- Golden hour
- Morning 07:22–08:27 · evening 17:49–18:53
- Blue hour
- Morning 07:10–07:22 · evening 18:53–19:06
Golden hour: the sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon; blue hour: 6° to 4° below it. Times for the 15th of the month; mountains and clouds shift the light.
What is the weather like in Penzance in October?
In October, Penzance is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 12 °C. The sea averages 14.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 4 hours a day. It rains often – on about 15 days, adding up to 100 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 35 km/h. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 10 h 51 min07:42 – 18:33
- UV index
- 2 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 35 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 71 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Time zone
- UTC+1Europe/London
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %10 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %24 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in October
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
- Windproof jacket
Sea temperature in Penzance
Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.
8 in 10 years: 13.9 – 14.8 °C
Swimming season: Never above 20 °C
- cold
- fresh
- refreshing
- pleasant
- warm
- very warm
The sea temperature in Penzance ranges from 9.8 °C in March to 16.6 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.
From November to February the sea is even warmer than the afternoon air. The sea temperature varies from year to year: in August, eight out of ten years were between 15.8 and 17.3 °C.
| Month | Average | Cool year | Warm year | Feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 10.6° | 9.8° | 11.1° | cold |
| FebruaryFeb | 10.0° | 9.2° | 10.5° | cold |
| MarchMar | 9.8° | 9.0° | 10.4° | cold |
| AprilApr | 10.4° | 9.8° | 11.2° | cold |
| MayMay | 11.9° | 11.2° | 12.7° | cold |
| JuneJun | 14.2° | 13.4° | 15.0° | cold |
| JulyJul | 16.0° | 15.1° | 17.0° | cold |
| AugustAug | 16.6° | 15.8° | 17.3° | cold |
| SeptemberSep | 15.8° | 15.2° | 16.6° | cold |
| OctoberOct | 14.4° | 13.9° | 14.8° | cold |
| NovemberNov | 13.1° | 12.7° | 13.6° | cold |
| DecemberDec | 11.6° | 11.0° | 12.2° | cold |
Sunshine hours in Penzance
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 3.6 of 10.9 hours of daylight in Penzance, 33 % of the day.
Sunshine hours: measured at the weather station 19 km away, averages 1991–2020 (WMO climate normals). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
UV index in Penzance
How strong the sun is at noon, month by month, and how quickly unprotected skin burns.
- Clear-sky UV in October
- 2 · lowLittle protection needed; sunglasses on bright days.
The sun is strongest in June (UV 8).
Minutes until sunburn in October
- Very fair skin
- about 60 min
- Fair skin
- about 80 min
- Light brown skin
- about 110 min
- Olive skin
- over 2 h
Rough guide for unprotected skin at noon under a clear sky; clouds lengthen it, water, sand and snow shorten it. Sunscreen extends the time only partly.
Monthly values: clear-sky noon estimate from the sun's angle, ozone and altitude. UV today: Open-Meteo forecast.
Rain in Penzance: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, Penzance has about 15 rainy days with 100 mm of rain in total.
Wind and clouds in Penzance
How breezy and how cloudy Penzance is through the year. Tap a month to select it on the whole page.
Wind
Typical daily peak of the wind in km/h: what the afternoon breeze usually reaches, not the gusts.
In October, the wind in Penzance typically peaks at 35 km/h during the day: Beaufort 5, fresh breeze.
Breezy months for windsurfing and kiting
From Beaufort 4 (20 km/h) the daily breeze is usually enough for windsurfing and often for kiting, and here it gets there all year.
Clouds
Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.
In October, cloud covers on average 71 % of the sky over Penzance: mostly cloudy, with about 3.6 hours of sunshine a day.
Wind: mean daily maximum of the hourly wind 10 m above ground (ERA5, 1996–2025). Gusts are stronger, and the model grid of about 28 km smooths out local effects such as capes and valley winds. Clouds: mean total cloud cover of all layers over day and night (ERA5, 1996–2025). Thin high cloud counts as cover even when the sun still shines through.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in Penzance
How warm the nights get in each month, from the mean night-time low. Tap a month for details.
- Cold 0–8°
- Cool 8–15°
- Pleasant 15–20°
CoolOctober: nights around 12°. A duvet at night and a jumper for the evening.
The coolest nights are in February (7°), the warmest in August (15°). Nights are pleasant for sleeping (15 to 20 °C) from July to August. Nights fall below 8 °C on average from January to March, so the room should be heated.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sea | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 4 | 10° | 7° | 10.6° | 2.0 h | 15 | 96 |
| FebruaryFeb | 8 | 9° | 7° | 10.0° | 3.0 h | 12 | 75 |
| MarchMar | 11 | 10° | 7° | 9.8° | 4.0 h | 13 | 67 |
| AprilApr | 21 | 12° | 8° | 10.4° | 6.2 h | 11 | 56 |
| MayMay | 25 | 14° | 10° | 11.9° | 7.0 h | 10 | 53 |
| JuneJun | 26 | 16° | 13° | 14.2° | 7.2 h | 9 | 52 |
| JulyJul | 24 | 18° | 15° | 16.0° | 6.4 h | 9 | 56 |
| AugustAug | 21 | 18° | 15° | 16.6° | 6.0 h | 10 | 62 |
| SeptemberSep | 19 | 17° | 14° | 15.8° | 5.3 h | 10 | 59 |
| OctoberOct | 7 | 15° | 12° | 14.4° | 3.6 h | 15 | 100 |
| NovemberNov | 2 | 12° | 9° | 13.1° | 2.3 h | 17 | 109 |
| DecemberDec | 2 | 10° | 8° | 11.6° | 1.8 h | 17 | 107 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences
50.12° N, 5.54° W · 32 m · Europe/London
Best time to visit Penzance
The best time to visit Penzance is from April to August. The sea stays too cool for a classic beach holiday: even in August it only reaches 16.6 °C. For sightseeing, day trips and hiking, conditions are most comfortable from June to September. Rain is most frequent from October to March; the wettest month is November with 109 mm.
Penzance through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
Penzance in spring
Mar – May
Poor
- 10–14 °C by day
- Sea 11 °C
- 6 h of sun a day
- 33 rainy days in all
Penzance in summer
Jun – Aug
Poor
- 16–18 °C by day
- Sea 16 °C
- 7 h of sun a day
- 29 rainy days in all
Penzance in autumn
Sep – Nov
Poor
- 12–17 °C by day
- Sea 14 °C
- 4 h of sun a day
- 42 rainy days in all
Penzance in winter
Dec – Feb
Poor
- 9–10 °C by day
- Sea 11 °C
- 2 h of sun a day
- 45 rainy days in all
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Penzance for you.
Your best months: May – July
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Compare two months in Penzance
Pick two months to see how the weather differs. A tick marks the clearly better value; for temperatures it depends on your plans.
June has the better holiday weather in Penzance: score 26 against 7. In June, days are 1 °C warmer than in October. The sea is about as warm in both months. June has 6 fewer rainy days. The sun shines 4 hours longer a day in June.
| Month | October | June |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 7 | 26better |
| Day high | 15° | 16° |
| Night low | 12° | 13° |
| Sea | 14.4° | 14.2° |
| Sunshine | 3.6 h | 7.2 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 15 | 9better |
| Rainfall | 100 mm | 52 mmbetter |
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
No month
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
Jun – Sep
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Rainy months
Oct – Mar
12 or more rainy days
Penzance month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
4January10° · Sea 11° · 2 h
In January, Penzance is cold: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 10.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 15 days, adding up to 96 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 40 km/h. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in January8February9° · Sea 10° · 3 h
In February, Penzance is cold: daytime highs average 9 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 10.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 75 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 39 km/h. All in all, February is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in February11March10° · Sea 10° · 4 h
In March, Penzance is cool: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 9.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 67 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 35 km/h. All in all, March is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in March21April12° · Sea 10° · 6 h
In April, Penzance is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 10.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 56 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 31 km/h. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in April25May14° · Sea 12° · 7 h
In May, Penzance is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 11.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 53 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 29 km/h. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in May26June16° · Sea 14° · 7 h
In June, Penzance is mild: daytime highs average 16 °C, and nights cool down to about 13 °C. The sea averages 14.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 52 mm in total. All in all, June is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in June24July18° · Sea 16° · 6 h
In July, Penzance is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C, and nights cool down to about 15 °C. The sea averages 16.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 9 rainy days and 56 mm in total. All in all, July is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in July21August18° · Sea 17° · 6 h
In August, Penzance is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C, and nights cool down to about 15 °C. The sea averages 16.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 62 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 28 km/h. All in all, August is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in August19September17° · Sea 16° · 5 h
In September, Penzance is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 14 °C. The sea averages 15.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 10 rainy days and 59 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 30 km/h. All in all, September is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in September7October15° · Sea 14° · 4 h
In October, Penzance is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 12 °C. The sea averages 14.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 4 hours a day. It rains often – on about 15 days, adding up to 100 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 35 km/h. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in October2November12° · Sea 13° · 2 h
In November, Penzance is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 13.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 17 days, adding up to 109 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 38 km/h. All in all, November is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in November2December10° · Sea 12° · 2 h
In December, Penzance is cool: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 11.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 17 days, adding up to 107 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 41 km/h. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Penzance.
Penzance in DecemberPenzance compared
Put Penzance side by side with another destination.
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Penzance vs. Truro
In October the holiday weather in Penzance and Truro is about equally good (score 7 vs. 9). During the day it is about as warm in Truro as in Penzance. The sea in Truro is 1 °C warmer.
| in October | Penzance | Truro |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday score | 7 | 9 |
| Daytime high | 15° | 15° |
| Sea | 14° | 15° |
| Sunshine | 4 h | 4 h |
| Rainy days | 15 | 13 |
| Best time | Apr – Aug | May – Sep |
Through the year
United Kingdom in October: the best places
In October, Penzance ranks 28 among the 31 nearest destinations in this country.
- Winchester15°49
- 2Portsmouth15°16°49
- 3Glastonbury15°48
- 4Reading15°48
- 5Salisbury15°47
- 6Oxford14°47
- 7Southampton15°16°46
- 8Stratford-upon-Avon14°46
- 28PenzanceThis page15°14°7
Planning a trip to Penzance
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Penzance in the school holidays
How the weather suits the usual holiday periods. Dates vary by school and region, so each holiday uses the months it usually falls in.
Penzance has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 25) and its weakest during the Christmas holidays (score 3).
- 18
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Poor
- 11 °C by day
- Sea 10 °C
- 5.5 h of sun a day
- 11 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 25
May half-term
May – Jun
PoorBest holidays
- 14 °C by day
- Sea 12 °C
- 7.0 h of sun a day
- 10 rainy days a month
- 22
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
Poor
- 18 °C by day
- Sea 16 °C
- 6.1 h of sun a day
- 10 rainy days a month
Good for: Sightseeing & walks
- 7
October half-term
Oct
Poor
- 15 °C by day
- Sea 14 °C
- 3.6 h of sun a day
- 15 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 3
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
Poor
- 10 °C by day
- Sea 11 °C
- 1.9 h of sun a day
- 16 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- Short trip – train or car is often quicker
- Distance
- 390 km
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Jet lag
- Hardly any (under 3 h)
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Frequently asked questions about Penzance
When is the best time to visit Penzance?
The best time to visit Penzance is from April to August. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
How warm is the sea in Penzance?
The sea temperature in Penzance ranges from 9.8 °C in March to 16.6 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.
Can you swim in Penzance in October?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 14.4 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
What is the warmest month in Penzance?
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 18 °C and nights around 15 °C. February is the coolest month at 9 °C.
When does it rain most in Penzance?
Rain is most frequent from October to March; the wettest month is November with 109 mm. The driest month is June with 52 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Penzance get?
Penzance gets around 1,670 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is June with 7.2 hours a day; in December there are 1.8 hours a day.
What time zone is Penzance in?
Penzance uses the time zone Europe/London: UTC+0 in January and UTC+1 in July.
Which school holidays are best for Penzance?
Penzance has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 25) and its weakest during the Christmas holidays (score 3). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 18, May half-term 25, Summer holidays 22, October half-term 7, Christmas holidays 3.
Near Penzance
Other destinations close by.
Places with a climate like Penzance
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to Penzance's – good alternatives.